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View Tree for Andrew HarrisonAndrew Harrison (b. June 15, 1753, d. September 24, 1838)

Andrew Harrison (son of Benjamin Harrison V and Elizabeth Bassett)779 was born June 15, 1753779, and died September 24, 1838779. He married Elizabeth Doughty.

 Includes NotesNotes for Andrew Harrison:
Garret Harsin or Andrew Harrison??

There's been a story in the family about my great (4 greats) grandfather,
Garret Harsin, who was born June 15, 1753. He was a volunteer soldier
in the American Revolution. This Garret Harsin is believed to be Andrew
Harrison, the first of 15 children born to Benjamin Harrison V and
Elizabeth Bassett. William Henry Harrison, the 9th President of the
United States, is Andrew's youngest brother.

Garret Harsin had a sister, amongst other siblings, named Nancy Ann
Harsin. Nany Ann Harsin married Caleb Gibbs. Caleb Gibbs was a major
in George Washington's Special Guard during the American Revolution.
His nickname was "Old Iron Face". Major Gibbs was the only officer
under George Washington for quite some time. Andrew Harrison was a
private in Washington's Special Guard.

George Washington hired Garret Harsin to purchase non-available items
for the Washington family and the Special Guard because he knew the
countryside and he had a good horse.

Since there had been a lot of stealing going on, Washington wanted his
Special Guard to be respected so he issued a death penalty for anyone
caught stealing.

On one occasion Garret Harsin could not get all the necessary items
from some merchants so he took 4 of the lesser men in the Guard, had
them blacken their faces and together they went out and stole what
they needed. One member of this group forgot to change his shoes and
a merchant remembered them and as a result they were caught. Three of
the men did not go to the gallows, one went to prison and Garret Harsin
was hung. All the Guard had to go to see the hanging on October 16,
1778 as an example.

Members of the Guard seemed to know tht Garret Harsin had been stealing
all along and told Major Gibbs (who was married to Garret's sister,
Nancy Ann) that his relative was going to get into trouble. Major Gibbs
became angry, and probably not wanting to adit that his brother-in-law was
stealing said that he knew every man there and denied there was anyone in
the Guard by that name, or that he was related to him. After Garret
Harsin was hung, Andrew Harrison put on some of Garret Harsin's clothing
just to show Major Gibbs who had been hung and that it was, in fact, his
brother-in-law. Caleb Gibbs became very angry and when Andrew Harrison's
discharge came up on August 28, 1779, Major Gibbs threw Garret Harsin's
personal belongings at Andrew and shouted, "You're now Garret Harsin. I
turned it in, in my report, that you had been hung on October 16, 1778,
for that robbery. Now don't forget it.". From then on Andrew Harrison
went by the name Garret Harsin.

There has been much research done to try to substantiate this story.
There has not been any record of Andrew Harrison after the American
Revolutionary War. The path of Garret Harsin after the war, paralleled
that of Benjamin Harrison to Kentucky. President Benjamin Harrison's
life centered in Indiana where Garret last lived.

The most convincing evidence that this man really is Andrew Harrison
is that the story has been repeated to me and others in the family from
at least four branches of the tree, all of who did not know of each
other.

If the person resting in the grave outside Shelbyville, Indiana, is
actually Andre Harrison, he is the son of Benjamin Harrison, signer
of the Declaration of Independence representing Virginia, and brother
to William Henry Harrison, ninth President of the United States, and
great-uncle to Benjamin Harrison, 23rd President of the United States.

Garet Harsin applied for American Reolutinary War pension at least 2
times in Kentucky as Andrew HArrison but it was denied each time
because records show Andrew Harrison being deceased at War time.

His own family would not support him in these applications for pension
because if they did they would lose their family inheritance to their
older son. It wasn't until Garret was older and in Indiana, away
from most of the Harrison family, that he applied again, this time
under Garret Harsin. This time he was approved for the pension and
there are court proceedings documenting this.

Whatever the truth is, I am certain of one thing, being related to
President Harrison was definitely talked about in the early 1800's
in the family but the story was not widespread among all descendents.
People did not talk much about family in the 1800's. At least one
person from each descendant of Garret's sons, George, Garret Gilbert
and John D. Harsin, have mentioned this story.

After many years of controversy, the records and information provided
were enough to convince the Veteran's Administration to place a new
plaque on Garret's grave, set in concrete in between the two
original stones for Garret Harsin and Elizabeth Harsin which reads:

Andrew Harrison
George Washington's Guard
Revolutionary War
Jan 4 1750 - Sept 24 1838
Garret Harsin



More About Andrew Harrison:
Burial: Unknown, Shelbyville, Indiana.779

Children of Andrew Harrison and Elizabeth Doughty are:
  1. +John Douglas Harsin, b. May 24, 1807, Kentucky780, 781, d. Abt. 1906, Omaha, NE781.
  2. Garrett Gilbert Harsin, b. September 24, 1790, Kentucky782, 783, 784, d. 1884785.
  3. George Harsin, b. April 22, 1785786, d. date unknown.
  4. Elizabeth Harsin, b. 1787786, d. date unknown.
  5. Deborah Ann Harsin, b. September 27, 1797786, d. August 3, 1885786.
  6. Marie Harsin, b. 1801786, d. date unknown.
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